"Damn, what's that smell?" Mamoru's nose wrinkled.
A sour, foul smell hit him, and he instinctively pinched his nose and took half a step back.
"As expected of boss, known as the Ninja Academy's number one dragon. Even the way you talk is so cool." Konohamaru gave a flattering smirk, he could make such an exaggerated expression at such a young age.
Mamoru fell into a brief daze, even suspecting he was hallucinating.
What did he just hear? Ninja Academy number one dragon? Was this thing his nickname?
A few seconds later, he recovered from the massive shock, his pupils refocused, and he said with a stern face, "Stop following us, and you're not allowed to call me that... Number One Dragon anymore."
"Eh! Why?"
Konohamaru tilted his head, muttering in confusion, "Ninjas Academy number one dragon is clearly very domineering and resonant."
"Shut up." Mamoru said.
He cursed inwardly, 'If I ever find out which genius gave me such a tacky nickname, I'll definitely put that person in a sack and sink them into the Naka River.'
Naruto chimed in, nodding in agreement, "I also think it's pretty domineering, it's a really good name."
Mamoru suddenly realized what 'birds of a feather flock together' meant, this was exactly it.
He had a sudden inspiration, pointed at Naruto, and said to Konohamaru, "He's much more powerful than me. He has a secret Ninjutsu that even I don't know, maybe he can even defeat the Hokage."
He just wanted to kick this trouble away now. Following him around every few days, what was that all about?
"Whoa! Can defeat grandpa? Really?" Konohamaru exclaimed, his joy showing on his face.
He carefully scrutinized the blonde boy so highly praised by Mamoru and asked somewhat skeptically, "But why does he look so weak?"
"What kind of look is that, kid?" Naruto felt slighted and puffed out his chest defiantly.
"Have you heard that you can't judge a book by its cover?" Mamoru spoke seriously for once, his tone solemn. "Don't judge a person's strength solely by their appearance."
"As expected of Boss, your words are different." Konohamaru nodded thoughtfully.
"Since Boss says so..."
Mamoru continued, "Don't underestimate him, he's a man who carries the hope of Konoha and the admiration of all the teachers and students of the Ninja Academy."
"Uzumaki Naruto is his great name, understand?"
Konohamaru scratched his head and said, "Although I don't quite understand, it sounds very impressive. Since he's a man recognized by boss, he must be very strong."
"Haha... that's right, this great me is very powerful."
Hearing Mamoru's 'praise,' Naruto immediately felt comfortable all over, as if his itchiest spot had been scratched. He rubbed his nose, his chest unconsciously puffed out, and even his chin lifted a few degrees. His whole body was so light he almost floated.
Shikamaru stood to the side with his arms crossed, watching Mamoru bluff the Hokage's grandson without changing expression, silently facepalming in his heart.
It was ridiculous for these three to be mixed together, and Naruto was truly shameless.
"Big bro!" Konohamaru turned to Naruto and shouted solemnly.
"Big bro?" Naruto pretended to be troubled and rubbed the back of his head, but the corners of his lips couldn't help but turn up.
"I... I guess I have no choice then. I'll teach you the moves to defeat the Hokage."
"R-Really?"
Konohamaru clenched his fists, eyes shining with admiration, shouting repeatedly, "I want to learn, I want to learn..."
Seeing that Konohamaru's attention had been completely taken over by Naruto, Mamoru quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
While the two were talking excitedly, he slipped away unnoticed, his figure soon disappearing around the corner of the street.
—
Training Ground No. 3 was bathed in the setting sun.
Mamoru was training alone there. Every strike, every dodge, made his sweat become scattered points of light.
"Wow! You really are here!"
A voice sounded from the edge of the woods, carrying a bit of joy.
Mamoru stopped his movements and looked toward the sound—Tenten was standing at the entrance of the training ground, a travel bag on her back, still carrying the dust of a long journey.
"You're back?"
Mamoru noticed her forehead protector was slightly crooked and the corners of her clothes were stained with dust, clearly looking like she had just returned from an escort mission.
"Yeah, I'm back." Tenten first gave a soft response, hands behind her back, then walked straight toward him.
Mamoru looked behind her and asked casually, "Where are the others from your team?"
Tenten's steps were light, her voice carrying the relaxation after completing a mission. "Guy-sensei went to submit the mission report. Neji and Lee went straight home."
Mamoru wiped the sweat from his forehead and teased half-jokingly, "You didn't go home first, but came to see me instead. Could it be... you missed me?"
"Y-You're overthinking it!" Tenten paused, a blush creeping over her cheeks, even her earlobes turning a thin red, her voice unconsciously rising an octave. "I-I was just passing by! Idiot!"
"Oh... I see." Mamoru deliberately elongated his tone, then changed the subject, "So, how was the mission?"
"Perfectly completed." Tenten made a cute peace sign.
Then a bit of trouble appeared on her face as she said, "But... it was completely different from what I imagined. It was quite boring along the way. Guy-sensei and Lee were always getting hot-blooded out of nowhere, doing embarrassing things at the drop of a hat."
Thinking of that pair's usual style, Mamoru couldn't help but laugh. With their personalities, they must have given Tenten and Neji quite a few headaches along the way.
Mamoru grinned. "What else? Isn't that what C-rank escort missions are like?"
He patted Tenten's shoulder, and said softly, "For us, being able to complete the mission safely is the best result. Isn't it?"
As everyone knows, C-rank escort missions often involve at most some bandits blocking the road. For ninjas who have undergone systematic training, these ordinary people pose no threat at all.
"Alright, enough of that." Tenten raised her hand to thump her shoulder, her face written with unhidden weariness.
"I've been so tired these past few days my bones are about to fall apart. I just want to dive into bed and have a good sleep now."
She seemed to suddenly remember something, and a bright light flashed in her eyes as she looked at Mamoru. "By the way, that Ninjutsu idea you gave me last time, I think I've grasped a thread of it. Let me ponder it for a few more days, then you can help me test it?"
"Working for free?" Mamoru blurted out, his face wearing his usual nonchalant expression.
"Hmph!" Tenten's cheeks immediately puffed up. "Then what do you want?"
"Hmm..."
Mamoru pinched his chin, looking up with feigned deep thought, drawling, "Well... I'll tell you after I've thought of the price."
"..."
Tenten glared at him fiercely, and without a word, turned around and walked out of the training ground.
"I'm not dealing with you anymore, I'm going back."
Mamoru looked at her back, which clearly carried some anger, and scratched his head somewhat blankly.
She was... angry just now?